For the sake of convenience and safety, consumers often substitute artificial trees constructed of metal and plastic for natural evergreen trees when decorating homes, offices, and other spaces, especially during the holidays. Such artificial trees generally include multiple tree sections joined at the trunk and held erect by a floor-based tree stand. Traditionally, consumers wrap strings of lights about the artificial tree to enhance the decorative quality of the tree display. As more and more decorative light strings are draped around the tree, it becomes more and more difficult to provide power to the various light strings distributed throughout the tree.
To ease this burden to the consumer, manufacturers have created “pre-lit” artificial trees. Typical pre-lit trees include an artificial tree with multiple standard light strings distributed about the exterior of the tree. Wires of the light string are clipped to branch structures, while plug ends dangle throughout the branches. Generally, multi-purpose decorative light strings are used in pre-lit trees, often limited to 50 or 100 bulb assemblies, with a bladed power plug for insertion into the back outlet of another light string, or insertion into an alternating current (AC) power source.
Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting has gained in popularity as a replacement for traditional incandescent lighting, particularly on lighted artificial trees. LED lighting provides a source of illumination for a variety of lighting applications, including decorative lighting, automotive lighting, architectural lighting, and other such applications, like lighting for artificial trees. However, LED lighting generally operates at low voltage. Further, low voltage, direct current (DC), is safer in home applications. Thus, an adapter or power converter is typically utilized in LED applications. A suitable adapter can receive the electrical energy from a 120V AC power source and output DC power based on the particular lighting requirements of the LED light. In doing so, the overall power rating is also reduced. Pre-lit trees utilizing LEDs have likewise required an adapter to relay the desired power to the LED light strings.
Conventional light strings utilizing DC-powered LEDs have traditionally incorporated an adapter connected to an AC power cord. Thus, on a pre-lit tree with multiple light strings, there are multiple plugs and adapters for the user to plug and subsequently unplug when assembling and disassembling the tree. Multiple cords being placed around the tree creates an inconvenience and is an eyesore detracting from the beauty of the pre-lit tree
In other conventional pre-lit trees utilizing LEDs, a central adapter has been incorporated into the wall plug. However, because of the weight and shape of the adapter, such adapters have a tendency to fall out of vertical wall outlets. Additionally, because of the increased size of wall-outlet-adapters, it can be difficult to use such plugs at an individual wall outlet with other electrical plugs, or with a power strip with other electrical plugs.
Further complications to the power management of an LED tree results from the need to provide power to lit or musical ornaments, particularly those mounted to the tope most tree section. Such powered ornaments, including “tree toppers”, often require alternating-current (AC) power, though the pre-lit tree may only provide direct-current (DC) power, or a lower-voltage AC power, such that external extension cords must be used to distribute power from an additional wall outlet to the top of the tree.
In any case, an undesirable appearance, and inconvenient situation results. In the case of an adapter as a discrete element in addition to the AC power cord, multiple cords and an unsightly adapter are visible near the tree. In the case of a wall-outlet adapter, a bulky plug is often visible near the tree.